Compass-joint



(N0 Model I. ABORN.

COMPASS JOINT.

No. 499,193. Patented June 13, 1893.

WITNEEEIEE.

m: uunnis min: ca. mmummumucron, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ABORN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COM PASSeJOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,193, dated J'u.ne 13, 1893. Application filed December 22, 1892. $erial No. 456.983- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK ABORN, residin gin Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio,

have invented an Improvement in Hinge- Joints, of which the following description, in

held to the ears of the second part or momher. The conical ears may extend inward or outward as desired, and when the members of the hinge joint are fitted together, they may be easily adjusted toward each other with great smoothness of action, and when so adjusted, the said members are maintained in their adjusted position until positively moved. The-members of the hinge joint may be extended to form the legs of dividers and like instruments, employed in drawing, and the instruments thus made are simple, strong, durable, light, cheap, and are uniformly adjustable toward and from each other with great smoothness of action.

My invention in a hinge joint, therefore,

consists in the combination with one member provided with laterally extended ears, of a second member having laterally extended spring ears fitted into or between the later- 7 ally extended ears of the first member and frictionally engaging the said ears of the first member, substantially as will be described.

Otherfeatures of my invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1, is a side elevation of an instrument embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the instrument shown in Fig. 1, on the line 22; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the instrument on the line 33;

Fig. 4, atransverse section on the line 4, Fig.

0. respectively, which are preferably made integral with the said parts or members, and

for the best results, the said ears and parts or' members are made of sheet metal, preferably steel. The ears of one member, herein shown as the ears a a of the member a are inserted between the ears of a of the other member, and the cars a a are made so as to possess spring action and form spring cars, which frictionally engage the ears a a and thus unite the members a, a together. The ears of the members a, a are made conical in' shape, as shown in the drawings, and they may be extended inward or outward as desired. The member a, is extended to form one leg of the dividers and is provided at its lower end with a tubular portion 1), herein shown asslotted longitudinally to form spring jaws to receive and firmly hold a pencil or other marking device I), and the member a is extended to a substantially sharp point to form the needle or prick point of the dividers.

As'represented in Fig. 4, the portion of the member a, above the holder b, is made substantially semi-circular to effect a saving in stock, when the parts comprising themember a are made in one piece as herein represented. The ears a 0. of the member a, may and preferably will be made to possess spring action but they may be made rigid. If desired, the ears on the members a, a may have extended through them a pin or swivel b shown only in Fig. 3 by dotted lines,but in practice, I prefer to omit the swivel or pin as the conical shape of the spring ears serves to frictionally hold the members a, a securely together, and prevents the said members becoming disconnected by a force such as would be ordinarily exerted in opening the dividers in practice.

The members a, a are preferably made from sheet metal and each in one piece, and when shaped to form a drafting instrument,

tional hinge joint as embodied in a drafting instrument, but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect as the said joint is applicable to other uses to which the hinge joint may be adapted by changing the shape of the members a, a.

I claim- 1. In a hinge joint, the combination with one member provided with conically shaped ears, of a second member having conically.

shaped spring ears fitted into or between the conically shaped ears of the first member and frictionally engaging said ears of the first member, substantially as described.

2. In a drafting instrument, the combination with a member or leg a provided at one end with a point, and having at its opposite end two conically shaped ears, of the leg or member a provided at one end with a holder for a marking device and having at its other end conically shaped ears co-operating with the ears on the member a and frictionally securing the member or leg at to the member or leg a, substantially as described.

3. In a drafting instrument, the combination with a member or leg at composed of sheet metal, shaped to form a point at one end and two laterally extended ears at the opposite end, of a member a composed of sheet metal shaped to form at one end a holder for a marking device and at its other end two laterally extended ears co-operating with the ears on the member a to frictionally secure the said members together, substantially as described.

4. In a drafting instrument, the combination with a member or leg a composed of sheet metal, shaped to form a point at one end and two ears at its opposite end, of a member 01. composed of sheet metal shaped to form at one end a tubular holder b, above which the member a is reduced in circumference, and at its opposite end spring ears co-operating with the ears on the member a to frictionally secure the said members together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANK ABURN. Witnesses:

GEo. MCVEANI, P. G. KASSULKER. 

